It’s the Holiday season and that means one thing for sure with me – tons of time driving around in the “fam-van” picking up kids, gifts, fast foods, other peoples’ colds/flu  and anything else Santa may or may not have on his list.  It also means a little extra “car talk” radio time for me, which is always a bonus. The 24-7 Christmas song station is fun for about the week after Thanksgiving, and then Rudolph, Frosty and Feliz Navidad start to give me uncharacteristic bouts of road rage (for some reason).   Ack.

 

Anyway. . . I can never get enough of anything “talk radio,” especially the biggies like Rush, Dr. Laura – you know all the large names with whom nobody really agrees or disagrees with, but tune into for the entertainment value of what is being said by those “entertainers” about what is happening on any given day. 

 

Well, on this particular day (five days before Christmas 2008) of sputzing around I turned the dial to Mr. Limbah.  I am typically a “conservative leaning” chick, so often he appeals to me on many levels – or, just makes me chuckle thinking about some of the “right turn” talks he has with his listening audience.   Yet, today – something he said relating to our struggling economy really hit home with me.  And, it stunned me. 

 

Rush was talking about a recent national survey conducted by some major media outlet that found most US parents are shielding their children from the state of our economy.  And, how are they doing this?  Well for starters, they aren’t telling them anything about that state of their checkbook.  Parents are also running up credit card debt to make it appear “Santa” still has deep pockets and is able to spread the usual amount of loot under the tree this year.  Uhmmm.  What??

 

Thank goodness I have not had “that” conversation with any of “those” parents.  I’m not saying you should give your kids a doom and gloom speech, but for the love of “Santa” – say no to a few things on the list this year.  And, let your kids know there will be less and why.  Most of all. .  . teach them about being grateful for what they have—beyond toys and unnecessary crap that all of us have been gobbling up over the last several years.  Teach them to give.

 

In my universe, I have experienced a seemingly different attitude.  I am the parent of two young children and all around them –at school, at church, the neighborhood, their friends—people are helping teach them that it’s REALLY time to give.  In their life time, there has been no greater time of need.  My kids understand not only from my husband and I that we need to share and give, but from the community that surrounds them.   We have made it clear that things have changed in our country (and household). And, the overindulgence we once probably shouldn’t have enjoyed is no longer.  We must live reasonably.  We must live empathetically.

 

So, in the end (here) – I sound not like a conservative, but a liberal (probably much to the chagrin of Rush, but who cares!).  But, like Rush, I recognize the disastrous road parents might be going down if they don’t halt the money sleigh now.  Right NOW.  Before Santa pulls onto your rooftop. 

 

On that note – Happy Holidays!  And, remember the reason.  For the season.   O!  Merry Christmas.

 

 

Thanks oshouldknow.com readers for your loyalty, comments and overindulgence this past year of this free—and hopefully entertaining at times—blog.